1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to lock decoders and in particular but not exclusively to vehicle lock decoders.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Lock decoders are used by locksmiths to decode a lock so that a key can be cut to gain entry, typically to a vehicle where the correct key has been lost or is not available, for example if the vehicle has been abandoned or stolen. The decoder typically also enables such a lock to be picked. In use as a decoder the tool indicates by way of a grid and pointer the bitting of each of the pins and wafers of the lock so that a key can subsequently be cut. The user of the tool has to read off the bitting for each pin and wafer as the tool is in use and either remember it or jot it down. In practice, a locksmith often has to work in difficult conditions, for example in bad weather, at night and in dark locations. This makes reading a conventional lock decoding tool difficult. Shining a torch or other light on the decoder does not always assist because the decoder is generally made of metal and reflections from various parts of the decoder make reading the bitting codes from the grid difficult. Also, use of a decoder requires two hands so that using a torch or light successfully in addition is not always possible for one man.
The object of the present invention is to provide a lock decoder that obviates or substantially mitigates the aforementioned problem.